Visible coin slot mechanism



March 10, 1936. A. DAHLSTROM ITAL VISIBLE COIN SLOT MECHANISM 2Shbets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2, 1935 j jaw), z'cifial dsiram March 10,1935. DAHLSTRQM ET AL 2,033,415,

VISIBLE COIN SLOT MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y Filed Jan. 2, 1935 Y um llllllllllm'llllllll 4 Patented Mar. 10, 1936 VISIBLE 'OOI-N SLOT 7MECHANISM Arvid -Dahlstrom and Peter. N. Nelson, Chicago,- I 111.,assignors to, Developments. Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporationofilli'nois ApplicatiomJanuary Claims.-

7 This invention'relates tovisiblecoinslot mechanism-andmore-particularly to coin slot mechae nisms'adapted' for use withvending machines and i form-.an;. integral part of the vendingmachine ifdesired; However; the embodiment illustrated'is.

particularlylarranged tobe. manufactured 'as a unit.;or ;-subeassemblywhich maybe attached to -;asubstantially any ordinary type of vendingmachineeandizwhich is arranged .to'cause movement of-Lan operationcontrollingmember of the slot machinewhen; a..suitable coin is insertedand the unit; operated.

5-20- It;is.-.:an:o.bject.of the'present invention to provide. adevice-which :will be simple in construction,

of few parts-and-which maybe easily assembled to. form L3,.111I1itadaptable for use with various types of vending machines.

Itgris a..furt-her object to provide a --visible-coin slot;;mechanism inwhich certain types'of slugs or-coins, whichare smaller than thenormal-coin for which-.theamachine is designed, will bedischargedthrough a suitable slug discharge chute. -Also, if .thecoin-opening is not filled by a proper coin,.or if. certain types ofslugs are inserted, complete movement of the operating membercannotbe-made .but the movement will be limited by suitable mechanism and thecoin receiving member -will3beereturned to its normal position insteadof making the complete movement, thereby preventing' the operation ofthe machine by'slugs or coins not-intended to permit the operation ofthe device.

It is afurther object to provide a-convenient -device'in which a slug orother article inserted inthe-device-and which does not permit theoperationthereof may be easily removed without injury" to the machineand'without disassembling any of the parts. Another object istheprovision of a visible .coin slot mechanismin whichsuitable coins,consecutively, inserted; therein, permit the operation of the r deviceand. simultaneously deposit consecutiye-coins in a visible position fromwhich they r 55s Figured isaa :frontelevation of oneembodiment l :2,1935,:SriaLNon52 of the inventionwhichiisaarranged:to be installed as :aunit on any*suitable..-vending; machine.

Fig-:2 is-aside elevation:of;the embodiment 11-: lustrated in Fig:1withta portion:otthe vending machine caseand frameof. the unit :shownin section'v Eig.:.3$iis.:a top plan' vievc of the embodiment i1!-lustrated:iin;Fig; ZJwithltIie vending machine cas ingrshownzin;section...

Figs: 4:15; a detailed sectional viewethrough .the coindiskiandrsupport'therefor with. the disk-limitingrpawlzshownsinsideselevation. The viewis takenon aline.substantially;corresponding toline 4-'-4 of=.Ffig.:3n

Rig; 5f;is..a"topl planzview similar .toFig. 3.: exceptthatthetcoverais. removed andlthe coin-receiving diskhasb'eenmovedto:.its extreme positionto. deposititheroin fin these-called. visible.coin. slot or depression; 'andiztoz moverone. of. theupreoedingcoins:therefrom..

Fig: (isisiaxlongitudinalz sectional. view 'through the entire=unitl andtaken'oma-line substantially correspondingtoline 6+6 of Fig. 3,. thecoindisk being. ashownainitsnormal coin receiving position.

Fig.;'7':-is.-a top .plan view ofthe outwardly-extending.-;.diskssupportings shelf with the disk: removed.therefr.om.

Fig; SJisanieXtended sectional detail viewtaken on:.a.line.substantially .correspondingto line 88 ofsaFig. 5 andillustratestheslugdischarge passage.- orrchute. and :thedepression under the diskarrangediztoureceive consecutive coins with consecutive operations ofthe disk.

Fig. 9 is audetailed sectional view: taken onalinesubstantiallycorresponding to line 99 of: Fig.5:and.illustratesaacoin dischargechute below the disk :and arranged toreceive consecutive coins; discharged? fromzthe display depression orvisible coin slot under the display: opening in the diskand thedisplaywindow in the cover.-

Referring to: the. drawings in detail, the embodimentillustrated-comprises a base orbracketlike support :I which .is providedwith-an outwardlyx-extendingl disk-supportingshelf. 2 and an inwardlyextending shelf '3, the latter being arranged. to operatively. support:a suitable mechanism:for:engagement with, and operation of, a vendingcontrol member within the vendingmachine case.

The outwardly extending shelf or disk-supportanditheficoverzk The- 2cover: is secured. .to the-. 5-

member I and the unit may be secured to the vending machine case bymeans of suitable bolts 6 extending through the oppositely disposedflanges of the base and cover. The cover 4 and the outwardly extendingshelf portion 2 are arranged to provide a suitable space or pockettherebetween to snugly enclose an oscillatable coin-receiving disk 1therebetween, this disk being pivoted forv which the device is designedhas been inserted,

the handle 9 may be moved to the position shown in Fig.5 and themechanism of theivending machine will beoperated during the latter partof this movement by the consequent inward movement of a plunger I2. Thisplunger I2 is slidably mounted on the inwardly extending shelf portion 3by means of a slot IS in which a suitable shouldered screw 14 isengaged. i The plunger may be provided'with a head l5 of any suitableshape for engaging with an operation controlling memberwithinthe'vendingmachine such as a member l6 which is diagrammatically illustratedin Fig.3. The opposite end of the plunger I 2 is connected to a crank pin I! ona pinion IS, the

latter being rotatably mounted on the. inwardly extending shelf 3 bymeans of a downwardly extending bearing stud is which extends throughthe shoulder and is provided with a disk 20 rigidly secured thereto. Acoil spring 2| is mounted between the. disk 20 and the shelf and .oneend of the spring is engaged in a suitablehole in the disk and theopposite endis engaged with the shelf as illustrated in Fig. 6.Thepinion I8 is in mesh with suitable gear teeth 22 on the coin disk Iand the spring 2| therefore normally tends to hold all of the parts inthe position illustrated in Fig. 3 and to return them to this positionafter they have been moved by the operator.v

A pawl 23 is pivoted on the shelf 3 adjacent the pinion l8 and isnormally retained'in the position shown in Fig. 3 by means of a spring24.. A.

plurality of ratchet'teeth 25 are provided on the pinion I8 and theseteeth are 'arranged'to cooperate with the pawl 23 a'fter the coin disk 1has been moved a certain predetermined distance from normal. Thiscooperation of the pawl 23 and ratchet teeth 25 prevents the return ofthe coin disk and mechanism associated therewith after the coin disk hasbeen moved a predetermined distance.

As previously stated, the cover 4 completely covers the coin disk I andis provided with a coin receiving opening 26. may be inserted by layingit fiat upon the cover as illustrated by dotted'lines at 21 (Fig. 6) andthen pushing the coin forwardly until it drops into a coin-receivingopening 28 in the coin disk I. The .coin disk 1 is substantially thesame thickness as the coins intended to be used therein and the opening28 is of such a sizethat thev coin'fits snugly therein but may easilydrop therefrom.

Inthe embodiment illustrated, ,a rectangular. opening .29 is providedunder the coin-receiving aperture 28 in the disk 21 when. the disk is inthe normal position. This is to permit :theeasy. rew A suitable coin ortoken.

moval of slugs as will be described later. It will also be noted, byreferring particularly to Figs. 1 and 5, that the support I is providedwith a slug chute or discharge passage 30 on one side of the normalposition of the coin aperture, and a coin discharge chute 3| ispositioned on the opposite side. The slug discharge chute 30 is soarranged as to receive certain types of slugs or coins which are smallerthan the coins normally intended to be used in the machine. These smallcoins or slugs of small diameter will be discharged through this slugpassage 30 during a limited movement of the disk I and before the pawl23 can cooperate with the ratchet teeth 25 to prevent the return of thedisk. If a coin or token of proper diameter is used, it will pass overthe slug discharge chute as the opening in the chute is somewhat smallerthan the diameter of a proper coin.

If an attempt is made to operate the coin disk without inserting a coin,or with certain types of slugs not filling the coin' aperture, a springpressed pawl 32 (Figs. v3 and 4) which is pivoted in the cover 4 willdrop into the coin aperture 28 as the disk is moved and thereby preventa complete movement of the disk, and. when the handle 9 is released'thedisk will be returned to its no mal position by the spring 2|.

The upper end of the small coin and slug discharge chute 30 is shown bydotted lines in Fig. 5 and by full lines in Fig. '7. This opening iselongated but somewhat narrower than the diameter of a proper coinintended to be used in the machine and therefore when a proper coin isused it will ride over this opening during the movement of the disk, andas the pawl 32 cannot drop into the coin filled aperture 28, the diskwill complete its movement to the position'shown in T Fig. 3 in whichposition the coin will drop into an arcuate depression or visible coinslot 33 which is formed in the outwardly extendingshelf 2 and beneaththe coin disk I. This depression'normally retains three coins'therein asillustrated in Fig. 7, and during the movement of the disk} with a goodcoin in the pocket 28, the coin slides over the top of the passage 30and under the" pawl 32 and the downwardly extending end 34.

spring 36 and drops into the coin discharge passage 3!, which dischargesthe coin within the machine. the depression 33, the coin which has beende- During this movement of the coins in 7 posited in the disk aperture28 will move to a position such as illustrated in Fig. 8 and will dropinto the depression behind the preceding coins.

The disk when released will 'then return to its normal position andanother coinmay be inserted. The pawl 32 (Fig. 4) is particularly'intended to prevent the use of certain types of slugs having holestherethrough and also to prevent 3 the operation of the device when nocoin has been inserted,

It will be apparent that if. a slug is inserted,-

which has a central opening therein, the pawl 32.

will drop into this opening and prevent more than a very limitedmovement of the disk and the disk will return to its normal positionwith'the tangular opening 29 below the coin aperture is 70... slugremaining in the coin aperture. The rectherefore for the purpose ofinserting a finger or any suitable instrument, such as a1p'eIicil, .upwardly. through the coin pocket. and pushing. the

slug :outivardly. through, the opening :-2fis; in: the 1 It will also beapparentithatv ifv a-small.

cover. coin-on slug, which is smaller than the coin pocket,-

chute is very close to the edge of the coinpocket;

this=-small coin or. slug may .be, discharged-into. Should the small.

the slug discharge chute 3D. slugpass underneath the pawl 32, which issometimes the-case, it will still be discharged intothe chute- 3!) as itis too narrow to ride thereover on the surface of the shelf 2.

The coin disk- 1: is p-rovided'with an arcuate opening 31' whichnormally-registers with thecoin receivingdepression orvisible coin slot33;

and a corresponding arcuate window 38 is provided'in the cover so thatthe coins may be observed therethrough. The opening 31 in thedisk isslightly narrower than the coins in the depression 33; therefore theyare retainedin the slot-and cannot be misplaced by tilting the machineor by other means.

Those'skilled in the art may vary the details H of--' construction aswell as the arrangement of: parts without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. It is desired, thereforethatthe invention belimited onlyby the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to besecured by-LettersPatentis:

1. A coincontrolled mechanism comprising a support having a coinexposing-window, a coinreceiving-plate movable back and forth in saidsupport and having a coin-receiving aperture normally remote from saidwindow and movable to; aposition adjacent said window, said supporthaving a; fixed coin slot immediately under said plate forsupportingaplurality of coins visible through said window, said mechanismpermitting successive coins inserted in said aperture to be moved intoalignment between said window and saidslot and deposited in said slot,coin controlledmeans toprevent efiective movement of said plate unlessacoin is inserted and means on saidplate to progressively movethepreceding coins in said slot to permit the deposit of the succeedingcoins.

2. A visible coin slot mechanism comprising a base having a slug chuteand a coin chute, an oscillatable disk on said base and having anaperture to receive a coin, means for oscillating said disk, means tolimit the movement of said disk to a position where said apertureregisters with said slug chute when said aperture is not filled with aproper coin, said limiting means being inefiective if a proper coin isused, said base being provided with a depression communicating with saidcoin chute to receive consecutive coins from said aperture when thecoins are moved to align with the depression, and a resilient pawl onsaid disk for moving the coins in said depression with each efiectivemovement of said disk whereby consecutive coins are deposited in saidcoin chute and the newly inserted coin is deposited in said depression,said disk having an opening therethrough whereby all of the coins in thedepression are visible when the disk is in normal coin-receivingposition.

3. In a coin slot mechanism, a support, an oscillatable disk in saidsupport and having a coinreceiving aperture, means arranged to permit alimited movement only of said disk when the aperature is not closed by aproper coin and inefiective to limit the movement when said opening isclosed, said support having a slug discharge passageadjacentone:sideiofvtheenormal.position .Ofi;" said coin; opening; and a,coindischarge passa e; adjaceniuthe opposite side of said=opening,--slugpassage being; positioned under the ;-patlr .013;: the coin;-opening and'iarrangedito; receive :slugs-ion' 5 coins smaller than.theopeningdur-ingmhe limitedi movement. of: said gdisk, saidsupporthaving-a coin-receiving depression under said diskwandaarerangedto receive acoinfrom said diskwhemsaidg limiting means .isineffective. and means to..-en-.. gageprecedingr: coins inasaid;depression" andx'toi. move. said coins .to .discharge one coinwith cachcomplete-movement of: the disk.

4; A- visible coin slot mechanism comprising;a1:v base having a: slugchute and: a coin: chute, a; re? tary- 'di'sk on saidbase-and'havinganopening-tea, receive acoin, means for=rotatingsaiddisk,=means;. to limit the movement ofrsaid disk to a. position: wheresaid openingregisters-with= said slug. chute if saidopen-ing 'isnotcompletelyfilled-witha coin, 2% said limiting-means being inefiectiveif the-open ing -is completely filled, said base being: provided? withadepression to. receive a plurality of:;-'-con-,. secutive coins fromsaid opening, and ratchet; means formovingsaid'coins with eacheifectiveaga movement of saiddiskwherebyconsecutiveicoins are depositedin .said coinchute and the new1y-.-.- inserted coindeposited in saiddepression,- said; disk havinganopening therethroughv wherebyaall f of-the coins are visible when-'thediskisnormal gg coin-receiving position.

5. A visible coin slot unit comprising a bracket:-v arranged-to besecured to a vending-machineand having anoutwardly extending shelf andanin... wardly extending shelf; acover for saidoutwardlyextending-shelfand having a coin receiving-opening and an arcuate window, an 1oscillatable-disk on said-outwardly extending shelf -and= having -a:coin aperturenormallyregistering with saidcover opening and'also havingan arcuate-aperture nar- .49 rower than the diameter of a. coin normallyreg -vistering-with said-arcuatewindow; said un-it havw ing an arcuatecoin slot undersaid disk-and registering with said windowand-terminating-ina-- coinchute,- means for releasably retainingzcoins in said 'coinslot, a handle for moving -said-diskto de--- posit a-coinfrom-saidcoinapertureinto the-closed end of said coin slot, means on said disk tosimultaneously move the coins in said coin slot to discharge one coinand to permit the coin in said disk to drop into said slot, meansnormally preventing movement of said disk and operative on the insertionof a coin to enable movement, and means on said inwardly extending shelfand movable by said disk to cause the operation of said vending machine.

6. A visible coin slot mechanism of the character described comprising ahorizontal support, a horizontal pivoted disk enclosed therein andhaving an outwardly extending handle for oscillating said disk, saiddisk having a coin-receiving aperture and an oppositely disposed coindisplaying aperture, a window over said display aperture, said supporthaving a closed end coin slot under said display aperture and saidwindow and terminating in a coin discharge opening, said support havinga slug discharge opening between the closed end of said slot and thenormal position of said coinreceiving aperture, means to limit themovement of said disk to discharge slugs or coins smaller than said coinreceiving aperture into said slug discharge opening and to permit propercoins to drop into the closed end of said coin slot, and means carriedby said disk to move all the coins in said slot to discharge the firstpreceding coin having a coin-receiving opening communicating with'sa'iddisk coin aperture when in normal 100- 2 sition and an openingunderneath said coin apezerture whereby a coin or slug therein may bepushed outwardly from the disk.

7. A coin slot unit comprising a substantially flat base plate havingmeans intermediateits ends for securing the unit to the wall of aslotmachine whereby a portion extends outwardly and a portion inwardly ofsaid wall, an oscilla'table coin disk pivoted on the outer portion ofsaid plateand having means for limited manual movement thereof,'a covercooperating with said base to form 3. closely fitting pocket for saiddisk and having a coin aperture therein, 'saiddisk being not materiallythicker than a coin and having a coin aperture normally positioned toreceive a coin from said'cover aperture, an arcuate window in said-gcover, said base having an arcuate coin groove under said disk inalignment with said'window, said disk having an opening normallypositioned to expose coins in said groove, a coin chute to dischargeconsecutive coins from said groove, means -gcontrolled by the movementof said disk to move the coins in said groove suiiiciently to receive asucceeding coin, means preventing effective movement of said disk exceptupon insertion of a coin, means movable by said disk for controlling thegoperation of a slot machine, and resilient means tachment to a slotmachine and having a coinreceiving aperture and a horizontal pocket notsubstantially greater than the thickness of a coin, a'disk in saidpocket and having a handle extending through a slot in said bracket forlimited rotary movement of said disk, said disk having a coinaperturenormally positioned to receive coins from'said bracket aperture,a support having a coin groove under said disk to receive consecutivecoins therefrom when said disk is operated, one end of said groovecommunicating with a passage 45 extending through the inner face of saidbracket, means controlled by the movement of saiddisk to dischargeconsecutive coins from said groove,

and receive the last succeeding coin, said support '1 means normallypreventing effective movement of said disk and coin controlled to enableefiective movement to deliver consecutive coins from said disk to saidgroove, a second pivoted disk for con-- trolling the operation of a slotmachine and having segment teeth cooperating with segment teeth on saidcoin disk, means cooperating with said second disk to necessitate thecomplete effective movement of said coin disk, and resilient means forreturning the coin disk to normal position.

9. A coin slot unit for application to various types of coin controlledmachines, comprising a base arranged to be secured to the outside of acase and having a portion extending through the wall thereof, said baseforming a support, operating members on said support in substantially asingle plane, said operating members comprising a manually movable disk,and means cooperating with said disk to cause the operation of the coincontrolled machine, a cover for said disk, said disk having a coinaperture, said cover having an aperture whereby a coin may be insertedinto said disk aperture, and means to prevent the effective operation ofsaid disk when a coin is not inserted and to enable operation when acoin is inserted.

10. -A coin slot unit comprising a bracket having a horizontal pocket toreceive an oscillatable coin disk, a coin disk pivoted in said pocketand having a coin aperture, a handle on said disk and extending througha slot in said bracket for limited movement of said disk, a horizontalcoinreceiving support on said bracket substantially in axial alignmentwith said disk and having an associated passage to deliver a coin tosaid disk, said coin disk aperture being normally on the substantiallyvertical axial plane of said bracket, a support having a coin groovebelow said disk and out of alignment with said disk aperture andarranged a to receive a coin with each effective operation, said groovecommunicating with a passage for delivering coins therefrom, meansnormally preventing operation of said disk and coin controlled to enableoperation, and means to move the coins in said groove with eachefiective operation to enable the delivery of a succeeding coin fromsaid disk.

ARVID DAHLS'I'ROM.

PETER N. NELSON.

